"Alana, I’ve never managed to harvest herb seeds before. What exactly do I need to do to collect them?"
Marcus looked genuinely puzzled. Even when he harvested the Three-Star Sacred Lotus at Star Lake, the only thing he had obtained were lotus seeds ant for crafting and consumption, not the viable seeds required for cultivation.
"Do you have so special thod for this?"
Seeing his confusion, Alana’s smile widened. She looked quietly pleased with herself, as if she had been waiting for this mont. A playful sparkle appeared in her eyes, clearly enjoying the suspense.
"Yes," she said, nodding lightly. "Normally, herb seeds can only be collected once the Herb Gathering skill reaches the Grandmaster level. At that stage, there is a certain probability of obtaining seeds during harvesting."
She clasped her hands behind her back, looking faintly proud.
"I’ve always loved gardening, but my gathering skill hadn’t reached Grandmaster back then. So my grandfather taught a special technique called Seed Extraction. It allows to bypass the usual restrictions and collect seeds even before reaching that tier."
"Seed Extraction?" Marcus repeated.
"Mhm. It’s a specialized technique within Herb Gathering focused entirely on seed collection. Since my own skill has already reached the Grandmaster level, I’m able to pass the thod on to you, Master. After learning it, you’ll be able to gather seeds yourself."
Alana finished speaking with a small, satisfied tilt of her head.
At that exact mont, a familiar system notification chid beside Marcus’s ear.
Ding!
[Player Stonehaven, your companion Alana wishes to teach you the hidden skill: Seed Extraction. Do you accept?]
"Accept!"
Marcus did not hesitate for even a second.
A hidden skill. It felt like striking gold.
Ding!
[Congratulations, Player Stonehaven. You have learned the hidden skill: Seed Extraction. You now have a chance to harvest herb seeds from plants and fallen monsters.]
The pleasant system chi faded, and Marcus imdiately opened his skill interface.
—
Seed Extraction: Hidden Skill (Level 1, 0/5000). Passive. Grants a chance to obtain herb seeds when using Herb Gathering on plants or the Gathering skill on monster corpses. Success rate depends on Herb Gathering level, Gathering level, and Luck attribute.
—
"Haha!"
Marcus laughed aloud, unable to hide his excitent.
Both his Herb Gathering and Gathering skills were already at the Advanced level, and his Luck stat was exceptionally high. Harvesting seeds should co naturally to him now. Once he located land rich in energy, not only could he support Alana’s passion for cultivation, he could also establish a legendary herb garden of his own.
’Perfect.’
The future suddenly looked even brighter.
---
"Marcus..."
"Breakfast is ready."
The gentle call pulled him away from the peaceful courtyard scene inside the ga.
Marcus had spent a long while relaxing with Alana, drinking tea beneath blooming flowers and enjoying rare monts of calm. He had been preparing to head back out to hunt monsters when reality abruptly returned.
His VR pod opened, and two familiar figures imdiately grabbed his arms from either side.
Amber and Jade leaned over him, shaking him awake with exaggerated enthusiasm.
Marcus blinked and checked the ti.
Harvesting the Crystal-Tear Berries had taken far longer than expected. Without realizing it, the night had passed, and morning had already arrived.
He had no mory of when Lily, Amber, Crystal, or Jade had gone to bed or woken up. The entire night had been spent managing potion production and logistics.
Although high-end VR pods allowed extended imrsion, Marcus made a conscious effort not to let the ga disrupt his real-world routine unless absolutely necessary. To him, balance mattered.
Dominion might be called humanity’s second world, but reality remained irreplaceable. The real world was his foundation. The ga was both career and entertainnt, nothing more. Besides, with his current strength, he had no need to exhaust himself through endless grinding.
"What ti is it? Still early... let sleep a little longer," he said lazily, smiling as the two girls leaned over him.
A faint, refreshing fragrance surrounded him. Amber and Jade had clearly just showered, their presence warm and soft against him. Their figures were growing more graceful with each passing day, their skin smooth as polished jade. Having both of them draped across him was dangerously distracting.
Almost without thinking, Marcus wrapped his arms around them and pulled them closer, savoring the comfortable mont.
"You big lazybones, it’s already past seven!"
The two won squird in his embrace. One pinched his nose while the other tugged his ear, both scolding him with playful indignation.
Amber puffed her cheeks, flashing her white teeth as if she might actually bite him.
"Past seven already?"
He groaned dramatically.
"Why am I so tired? It feels like I didn’t sleep at all."
The girls looked like a pair of lively little fairies, radiant and full of energy. Marcus cherished them deeply.
"Get up, Marcus! Or I’ll call Lily to drag you out!"
"Stop pretending!"
Seeing through his act, they leaned forward at the sa ti and planted quick kisses on each of his cheeks.
"There. Is that enough motivation?" Amber asked with a mischievous grin.
Together, they grabbed his hands and hauled him out of the pod.
Leaving the ga room, Marcus entered the main hall where Lily, Crystal, and their housekeeper, Mrs. Julia, were already preparing breakfast.
He felt relieved seeing Mrs. Julia back at work. With so many people living in the house, Lily would have been overwheld handling everything alone.
Crystal clearly had little experience in the kitchen, and expecting Amber or Jade to cook was simply unrealistic.
After breakfast, Marcus followed his usual routine, escorting the girls to campus. Once they headed off to their respective classes, he normally spent so ti jogging on the track, wandering around campus, then returning ho to dive back into the ga.
Today, however, the atmosphere felt noticeably different.
The mont they entered Crestwood University, whispers began spreading.
Being seen with Lily and Amber alone already made Marcus the target of countless jealous stares. Now, walking alongside Lily, Amber, Crystal, and Jade at the sa ti, he felt as if thousands of invisible daggers were aid at his back.
Near the campus entrance, a group of students had gathered casually. One young man wearing an earring noticed Marcus surrounded by four stunning girls and imdiately scowled with envy.
"Damn, look at that guy," he muttered to his friend. "Who does he think he is, walking around with four girls like that? Should we go say hello?"
"Really? How good-looking are they?" asked another student nicknad Second, turning around slowly after being called.
Before he could react, a third student dressed in black eagerly chid in, clearly proud of his knowledge of campus gossip.
"They’re famous actually! That’s Lily from advertising design, one of last year’s It Girls. The two beside her are freshn, Amber from business managent and Crystal from literature. Both are top candidates for this year’s It Girl ranking. And that younger one is rumored to be Crystal’s sister. Nobody knows her na yet, but she’s already famous..."
"Shut up, idiot!"
Second shot him a glare.
Then, without warning, he turned and slapped the earring-wearing student twice across the face.
Smack. Smack.
A sharp kick followed, sending the guy stumbling backward.
"Watch your mouth," Second growled coldly. "Learn who you’re talking about before opening it again. Next ti, I won’t be this gentle."
After disciplining his lackey, Second imdiately switched expressions and jogged toward Marcus with a wide, friendly grin.
"Marcus! Didn’t expect to run into you today."
He glanced at Lily and smirked knowingly.
"Lily, I heard you moved into Marcus’s place."
"Marcus!"
"Hey, Marcus!"
Before Marcus could respond, several upperclassn hurried over, greeting him enthusiastically. These were campus veterans who clearly knew exactly who he was.
"Get over here!" Second shouted at the freshn behind him. "et Marcus properly. If any of you disrespect him, you’re done on this campus."
The younger students scrambled forward nervously, including the earring guy and the gossip in black. To ordinary students, this group already carried an intimidating reputation.
"Lenny, what’s going on? So kind of event?" Marcus asked casually.
If Lenny, the student known as Second, had not intervened earlier, that reckless freshman would likely have gotten himself seriously hurt. Fortunately, Lenny understood the situation and had already handled it.
"Nothing special," Lenny replied. "Just a back-to-school gathering. We’re waiting for Vanguard, to arrive."
He grinned.
"Since we ran into you, why not stay and hang out for a bit?"
Marcus shook his head politely.
"No thanks. You guys enjoy yourselves."
"Marcus!"
Just as he finished speaking, another group approached from across the courtyard. Several students recognized him imdiately and rushed forward.
At the front walked a tall, imposing figure whose presence naturally drew attention.
The man Lenny had ntioned, Vanguard had arrived.
User Comments
0 comments from readers